How to Craft Your Homemade Sports Drink
When you examine the ingredients of store-bought sports drinks, you’ll often find sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, artificial colors, and vegetable oils. Anything fluorescent-colored doesn’t seem very “natural.” The encouraging news is that the fundamental components of any sports drink are straightforward, making homemade versions equally beneficial, if not more so. The flavor possibilities are endless, but the basic recipe for a homemade sports drink remains consistent. The key ingredients include:
- Water: Filtered water serves as the foundation for any homemade sports drink. Alternatively, you can use coconut water, a natural source of electrolytes and natural sugars.
- Salt: Opt for unrefined sea salt like Celtic Sea salt or Redmond Real Salt, rich in trace minerals and electrolytes such as sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Adding unrefined sea salt enhances water absorption, ensuring it reaches the cells and keeps you hydrated efficiently.
- Fruit: Incorporating freshly pressed citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, or limes is the simplest way to infuse flavor, simple sugars, and additional electrolytes such as potassium into your homemade sports drink.
- Raw Honey: While optional, raw honey provides a rapid source of energy in the form of glucose, easily digested and absorbed by the body. When used, make sure to opt for raw honey, as it is unrefined and may offer additional trace minerals.
Here are two fundamental recipes you can effortlessly prepare at home.
Homemade Sports Drink
For homemade sports drinks, it’s best to use fresh fruit or freshly pressed juices to minimize refined or processed sugars.
Ingredients
Lemon-Lime:
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt (Celtic or Real Salt)
- 1 teaspoon raw honey (optional)
Orange:
- 2 cups water
- 1 orange, juiced
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt (Celtic or Real Salt)
- 1 teaspoon raw honey (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a glass or jar until the salt is dissolved.
- Serve chilled and savor!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 26 calories
- Sugar: 4 grams
- Sodium: 104.5mg
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 8 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
